So Much Time
by Ella EH EH EHx3
Summary: Gabriella Montez gave everything she had to East High's Golden Boy. And in return, he left her. But will a year give Troy the time he needed and Gabriella the closure she deserves? TxG
1. Amazing For A Minute

Random idea for a new story, yay. Okay well enjoy! And please don't hate me. :)

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**"And for that minute, **  
**there was no such thing as time.**  
**Your soul was in it**  
**there was more than just the night.**  
**Where I existed,**  
**I invested all my time;**  
**Just to witness the bitter side of life."**

- Katy McAllister; Amazing For A Minute

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_The swollen lips guided across the smooth neck of the Latina, a small sigh escaping her lips as her brown eyes closed. The pair had been stripped down to their naked bodies. Intertwined as sweat dripping from their pores. Somehow their study session turned into this._

_Reconnecting their lips in a slow kiss, the blue eyes closed, enjoying the moment. His hands wrapping around the exposed back of the brunette who was cradled in his lap. Slowly, his hands ran up her bare back, lacing his hands with her thick brown curls._

_"Troy," She gasped softly, as she ran a hand through his tasseled hair. She didn't know how it happened. She didn't know how she ended up in the arms of the school's most popular athlete. One minute, they were studying for the biggest test of the year and before she knew it, she was completely naked in the arms of Troy Bolton. Gabriella Montez, the smartest girl in the eleventh grade was doing the stupidest thing she'd ever done. Falling in love with the wrong guy._

_"Gabriella," He said softly, kissing her exposed shoulder. He wanted to memorize every single part of her naked flesh. He wanted to place his lips over every single inch of her beautiful olive skin. He wanted to kiss the tiny birth mark on her neck that made his insides turn. He wanted to run his fingers over her toned stomach. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to show her how important she was to him. "You're so beautiful,"_

_"What are we doi-" The logic in her brain began to kick in. Should she be doing this with him? Before she could finish her sentence, Troy's raspy voice objected, his smooth hands trailing down her back, as the fire between her legs began to grow._

_"I love you," He whispered into her hair, for her and only her to hear. Gabriella closed her eyes, smiling slowly. She wiggled in the lap of the basketball star, causing a growl to errupt from bottom of his throat. His hard member rubbing against the leg of the Latina who sat in a compromising position._

_"I love you too Wildcat," Connecting her lips with the swollen ones of the basketball player, she melted into his kisses. "I've never..." Her brown eyes looking down at their bare bodies that were drenched in a liquid that seemed to mix perfectly together._

_"It's okay," Troy spoke softly, pressing his hard member into her untouched opening, a whimper coming from the lips of the brunette as she tensed. Her brown eyes closed tightly, not expecting the pain. He left tiny kisses across her bare neck, reassuring her. Nodding, she allowed him to proceed, he pushed himself further into the small Latina. Gabriella let out a cry of pain, Troy covered her mouth with his, kissing away her pain. "Don't worry baby, I won't hurt you,"_

_He did the exact opposite. He hurt her. He didn't love her._

_She gave herself to Troy Bolton, basketball star, golden boy of East High, that night. And in return, her never spoke to her again. _

A deep sigh left the lips of the brunette as she shut her locker. Senior year.

She was half way through her day first day and she just wanted to go home and sleep. Was it because she had stayed up all night working on her English Lit. project? Or was it she had almost made physical contact with basketball star who had taken her purity from her? She'd like to think it was the first one but she knew it was the second one.

Looking down at the piece of paper in front of her, she began to walk towards her next class. It was an elective she had been forced into taking. Her guidance consoler had given her the choice between music theory or a physical education class. Reluctantly, Gabriella had picked the music theory class.

Turning into the classroom where she had a study hall the year before, her heart rate began to increase, her stomach dropping. Her brown eyes widening as she spotted the chestnut colored hair and blue eyes. She felt a wave pass over her. Her cheeks becoming hot as she avoided the glance the beautiful boy had sent her.

Images entered her brain from that night, almost a year ago and she could remember every moment as if it had been engraved into her mind.

_The blue eyes closed for a moment as he looked down at the beautiful brunette who settled next to him, a peaceful smile played on her lips._

_"You're beautiful, you know that?" Troy's voice broke the silence as he guided his arm across the olive skin, trailing his warm hand down the bare arm of Gabriella._

_"Mmm," Her voice was filled with sleep as she snuggled further into Troy's built chest._

_"Promise you won't regret anything," His voice was husky almost as if he was swallowing a lump in his throat._

_"I promise," Gabriella swore, pressing her lips against Troy's exposed skin. He smiled as his lips grazed the top of her head. He took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair. He loved the way she smelled. He loved her._

Shutting her eyes, she forced the memory to the back of her mind, wanting to forget it completely. She dodged the looks she was receiving from others as she made her way to an empty seat. She couldn't be near him without having to fight tears. And now she was forced to share the same classroom with him for a school year.

She was being forced to see him day after day not fully knowing why he had left her that night. Why he didn't speak to her. Why he had said those three words and left her without a word, or explanation. She was the smartest girl at East High and she couldn't find her answer in one of the books she carried against her chest, clutching it as if her life depended it.

Was she just some target of his? Was she a bet he had made with his basketball friends? Did he really mean those three words he said to her?

She wanted to change classes. She wanted to leave the classroom. She wanted to be away from the one boy who ever held a place in her heart.


	2. Happy Accident

Hey guys, thanks for your reviews! :) It means a lot! I hope you enjoy this. And I'm slowly working on my other story as well. I hope you like this chapter. It's more of an insight of Troy... I guess. Any whoooo, here go! Thank you... :)

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**"I want it to be like that again.  
Like the first time  
Will it ever be like that again,  
Like the first time?  
Like a happy accident."**

- Happy Accident; Jason Reeves.

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The dangerous blue eyes stared at the back of the brunette's head.

Sure, she looked beautiful. She never stopped. Sure, she was still adorable when she hugged her books to her chest. That was always adorable. Sure, she was self-conscious when she wore dresses, but she still looked better than any other girl in the room. There was one thing Troy was sure of, he never stopped loving her. He would never stop and that was for damn sure.

Troy let out a small sigh as the bell rang, indicating class was starting. He settled down into his seat, his eyes never leaving the dark brown hair that was in the far right corner of the class. His mind wondered back to the night he had felt himself slipping under her spell.

_"It's so easy, look," Gabriella said, her figure leaning towards the basketball players. He took a tiny breath in. She smelled like heaven and a hint of coconuts. Closing his blue eyes, he took in the scent. She smelled amazing._

_Something about the beautiful brunette left Troy feeling different. He wanted to be closer to her. He wanted to touch her arm to see if it was as soft as it looked. He wanted to taste what kind of lip gloss she was wearing. The natural beauty that projected from her becoming more evident to him. He started viewing her different. It was a good different._

_The two were currently sitting at the wooden table in the Montez's kitchen. Books and papers spread out every which way. Jack Bolton had made a deal with the school's smartest girl. If she tutored his son, he would offer Gabriella extra credit in his class, physical education. And facing the facts, Troy and Gabriella needed it both._

_"I just don't get it," Troy said with a huff, running a hand through his boyish hair. The brunette smiled softly at the basketball player, taking the pen from his hand. Her tiny hand scribbled on the homework sheet that was placed in front of him._

_"Don't worry, Wildcat," The nickname she had given him when she first started tutoring him. It made him feel like he meant something to her, in a sense. She was hovering slightly over his figure, which made his breathing unstable. "So, sig figs were the most annoying thing when I took chem last year," Her brown eyes met the blue, sending chills through his body. "But once you get it, it's kind of like game," A giggle escaped her lips, this caused Troy to smile._

_"A game?" He challenged lightly, which caused the brunette to smile a little, brushing her shoulder against his in a playful manner._

_"Mmhmm," She hummed slightly, and pointed back down to the paper that she had written on moments before. "Now, 45. That's a nonzero number, right?" She said softly, giving then pen to the athlete as she pushed the paper back towards him. Troy nodded slightly, taking the pen from her hand, making sure he brushed it softly. Goose bumps rose on his arm as his hand merely brushed hers. "That means it has two sig figs," She said simply._

_"I get that. Small numbers don't bother me. But when Mr. V puts up like five digit numbers my brain just goes blank and I feel so stupid just staring up at the board," He confessed lightly, earning a small smile from the beautiful brunette who was now seated next to him._

_"Let's try a harder one than," Encouraging him, she took the pen from his hand once again, writing down a much larger number on the paper. "756. All those numbers are sig figs, because none of them have zeros to the left of the nonzero number. But if I were to put a zero in front of the seven and make it 0.756. Which numbers would be significant?"_

_"Only the seven, five, and six, right?" Hoping he was right, his blue eyes glanced at the smart Latina next to him. The smile she wore on her face showed that Troy was correct. "But what happens when there's a zero in the middle of the number?"_

_"It counts too," Her smile was warm, so inviting. She jotted down another number. 503.09. "All of those are going to be sig figs because they're both between nonzero digits," Scribbling down another number on the paper in front of the pair, she looked him, a smile on his lips. Did she do something funny? Was something in her teeth? "What?"_

_"Oh, it's nothing. You're just adorable when you're in teacher mode," He mused. This made Gabriella's cheeks turn a bright red. "And when you blush," Bringing his hand up to touch her colored cheek, his thumb brushing the soft skin. Leaning into her sweet scented figure, his lips pulled into a small grin._

_"Troy," Her tone was light, almost un expecting like there was something caught in it. "What are you doing," Almost as if on the command of her question, Troy's lips were on hers. A slow kiss that made his insides turn to dust. Gabriella reacted just as he had hoped. Her lips began to move against his in the same motion, slow and wanting. Her dark eyes closing as she melted into the kiss. She was kissing Troy Bolton. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her desirable lips. Cherry._

_The brown eyes fluttered open to see the bright blue staring back into hers. Her tiny hand coming up to touch her cherry flavored lips. "Did we just kiss?" She asked softly, not quiet believing it happened. Letting out a low chuckle, Troy nodded, smiling softly at the brunette who was seated next to him. Leaning into the brunette again, he connected his lips with hers again, wanting to taste her sweet tasting lips again._

He wished he could rewind to that night. He wanted to kiss her all over again. He wanted to take in her faint perfume that drifted off of her. He wanted to see her smile over the simplest things, like sig figs and chemistry. He wanted to be with her in the simplest ways. He wished she didn't hate him. He wished he never left that night. He wished he could take away all the pain he caused her. He wished she still loved him. But all his wishes wouldn't be able to come true because he messed up. He messed up everything. She wouldn't even look at him. He missed the way her brown eyes would stare at him with such happiness. He missed how her voice sounded so sweet.

Troy was pulled from his thoughts as his middle aged teacher began to talk. He stared at the man for a moment, taking in the small words that left his mouth. He was married, he noticed the small ring that was on his left hand. He was beginning to go bald. He had thick framed glasses. The basketball star just sort of stared at the man, his blue eyes filled with boredom, but his ears perked at the mention of two words. His blue eyes focusing on the balding man who stood in front of him. Seating chart.

"Candance, you'll be here," Mr. Patterson pointed to the seat the beautiful brunette was in. His eyes falling onto her shy figure. Quickly, Gabriella got up from the chair, slinging her bag over her shoulder. The blonde filled her spot, sitting down. "Don't go too far Gabriella," Mr. Patterson said looking at the brunette from his thick framed glasses. "You'll be behind Mr. Bolton, who is behind Andrew," Pointing to the seat behind the tall boy who had only sat down moments ago.

This made Troy's eyes shoot to the brunette's brown ones. It was the first time in a long time she looked at him. It was the first time she had stared into his welcoming ones. Chills sent down his spine as he shot up from his current desk, walking slowly over to the seat the teacher had directed him to. He passed Gabriella, taking a giant breath in, he wanted the faint smell of coconuts to enter his nose.

"Miss Montez," He directed the brunette to the seat behind Troy. As she walked past him, she avoided the stare that she knew was being sent to her. The blue eyes basically begging for took in another breath, letting the aroma that drifted off of her fill him with a slight happiness. He missed that smell.

Should he talk to her? What would he say? Would she be cold to him or the sweet girl he fell in love with? Turning slightly to look at the brunette, he noticed how beautiful she was. Almost as if nothing ever changed. What should he say to her? Troy fought with himself on the inside. How about a hello? He asked himself.

"Hi," He said weakly but with as much confidence as he could. His voice was shaky as the two letter word left his mouth. Gabriella was entranced in the book she had bought, her brown eyes looked up from the pages. The blue met the brown again. A moment of silence settled before Gabriella said anything to him. It seemed like an eternity to the basketball player. He felt sweat forming on his forehead. He needed to hear her sweet voice.

"Hi?" A questioning tone left her mouth as her brown looked down at the book again. So, she hated him, he concluded. He deserved that.

"How's... life?" Troy pressed lightly, hoping she would look at him the way she used to. The brown didn't look up again at the blue.

"Does it matter?" She shot back lightly, turning the page, her eyes drifting over the text. She seemed uninterested in him. He deserved that too.

"You always matter," His voice was low and husky. She did always matter to him, he was just terrible at showing it. He was terrible at love. He was terrible at showing emotion. But Gabriella Montez, the girl who dug so far deep into his heart and stayed there, she mattered. She always mattered.

"Don't lie to yourself. I never mattered," Pushing her dark hair, behind her ear she lifted her chocolate eyes up to meet the blue. A small growl left his lips as he went to reply, but was interpreted by Mr. Patterson's deep voice.

"I want you to take a look around, kids," He was making his way back up to the front of the classroom. "Because this group is going to become a family," He said with a hint of pride. "I also want you to know that I already have your first assignment," A groan erupted from the group of students that were seated in front of him which caused a grin to spread across his wrinkling face "Hey, don't get too excited yet. It's only the first day! It's a group assignment. Don't worry, children," Picking up a stack of papers, he began to pass out the papers, row by row. "This project is the only project I give you the whole semester, which is a good thing, because that means you have the whole time to work on it," He explained, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "I have you guys paired up for the year," He continued, picking up another stack of papers. "I think group work is much more... effective. But I've assigned you based on your seats. Candace and Andrew, Troy and Miss Montez," Troy's heart jumped inside of his chest, Gabriella was his partner. For the whole school year? His heart was beating a mile a minute.

"You guys have a simple task, pick an era and report on the music of that time. I want important artists, bands, song writers, songs, instruments. Everything," His voice drifted into the back of Troy's mind as he thought about the brunette who was probably mortified behind him, but all he could imagine is being close to her again.

Troy could thank Mr. Patterson for simply allowing him that access of being in her presence again.


	3. You Fall Away

Thank you guys, you're simply amazing! I love you guys! Enjoy!

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**"You left something undone, it's now your rerun.**  
**It's the one you can't erase;**  
**You should have made it right, so you wouldn't have to fight.**  
**To put a smile back on your face**

**You fall away from your past,**  
**But it's following you.**  
**You fall away."**

- You Fall Away; The Fray.

"Listen, I need this grade just as much as you do, so do you think we could just get along with this project?" Her voice was laced with venom, as she slammed a piece of paper down on the Library table in front of them. Troy's blue eyes seemed to jump up to the face of the Latina.

"Could you not be so angry?" He winced, taking the paper she had slammed down on the table with slight caution. The brown narrowed in his direction as the brunette let out a low laugh.

"Don't speak unless it's about this project," She hissed at him, taking a seat opposite from him, letting the bag on her shoulder falling to the ground as she slide into the chair.

The two had agreed to meet in the library after school that Friday, after the first week of school. Troy took it as an opportunity to be close to Gabriella again. Gabriella took it as a form of torture, being close to him and not knowing why he left her that night.

"Okay," He seemed defeated as his blue eyes looked down at the printed out paper in front of him. At least he was close to her, he thought.

"I picked 1995 through 1999 for our project. Josh and Kelly got early 2000's, which is what I wanted, but whatever," Gabriella's voice drifted as she bent over to reach for a paper in her bag, her long brown hair falling over her shoulders. The blue eyes of the basketball player watched her hair cascade over her tiny frame. His blue eyes noticed how shinney and beautiful her curly hair was. How she didn't have to put much effort into her locks and they still looked flawless.

"That's cool," Troy's voice was tiny, still beaten by the demanding voice of the brunette who had only spoke moments ago.

"I googled the top 100 songs from that time," Her voice was calmer as she slid a pile of papers towards the basketball player. "I was thinking we could take the top ten from each year and break down each song," Her eyes met the blue, his eyes filled with sadness.

"Brie," His voice soft as he wanted to reach out to touch her soft brown hair. He missed running his hands through her curls. The nickname he had given her coming from his lips again. It sounded so sweet to her ears.

"Don't call me that Troy," Breaking the stare the two held as she slipped to retrieve something from her bag once more. She wanted nothing more than to hear him call her that. She wanted to be his Brie again.

_"No Brie," Troy's voice was filled with a laugh as the two were parked in East High's parking lot. His arm was wrapped around her slender shoulder as she leaned against his warm figure. The two had studied in the library that day and were just about to leave the school's parking lot. Somehow, they had ended up leaving longing kisses upon each other's lips._

_"Wildcat, please," She pleaded softly, running her hand over his built chest, making him rethink his decision. She had been begging his that past three days to let her drive his beat up old truck, the truck he worked so hard to keep running. She wanted to drive his truck. His baby._

_"Fine," He grumbled, letting go of her figure as he turned to face her. His blue eyes piercing her mocha orbs. "But I swear, if you reck my baby, I'll...I'll," He took a sharp breath in as the brown eyes seemed to make his insides melt._

_"You'll what?" With a raise of her eye brow she gave Troy a look that made him want to kiss her. Hard._

_"I'll... never kiss you again, Brie," He didn't sound very confident like he usually did when he teased her. He was very hesitant, in fact. This caused a slow smile spread across the gloss lips of the brunette as she leaned in to kiss the awaiting lips of the basketball star. As she pulled back from the kiss, she smiled at the blue eyed boy._

_"Really?" She questioned, as she felt Troy's strong hand slip around her back, running his hands through her thick raven curls, something he had been doing a lot of lately. Gabriella wasn't exactly sure what to call them. Were they a couple? Were they friends with kissing benefits? It had been two weeks since the first night East High's most popular boy had kissed her in her kitchen. Was this fairy-tale no one had told her about?_

_There were times when the basketball captain would steal the Latina away from the chaos of East High and pull her into an empty room, kissing her endlessly. His blue eyes making her feel loved._

_Letting out a low chuckle, Troy's lips pressed against the Latina's again for a brief second, every kiss seemed to be like their first. He loved feeling her soft lips against his. He loved hearing a sigh of contentment as he pulled her in for another embrace. He loved every inch of her._

_"I can be your teacher," The voice that escaped the basketball star's lips was low and husky, making Gabriella's insides turn. His blue eyes were filled with something she'd never seen from him before, desire?_

_"Teach me, Mr. Bolton," She said playing his game as his white teeth flashed her his smile, making her heart literally melt. She gripped the steering wheel in front of her._

_"Well first, Brie, you need to be in the driver's seat," With ease, he pulled the brunette onto his lap, sliding her over to take his spot. She looked at him with slight amusement, as he gripped the dashboard, fearing for his life. "Check your mirrors, Ms. Montez," Troy's voice husky against the brunette's ear, making shivers run up and down her spine._

_Making sure her mirrors were fixed correctly, she looked at Troy, smiling at him. "I'm so short, Wildcat," A giggle escaping her lips as she tried to touch the pedals, her feet barely reaching them. Troy copied her laugh as he leaned in to kiss the side of her temple. Fixing the seat, which allowed her to move her feet to touch the petals much easier. "Okay, now what?"_

_The look Troy gave her was filled with happiness, making her heart melt. He merely smiled at her as she looked at him. "Turn the keys, baby," He said softly, putting his arm around the back of her shoulders, resting his arm against the seat. Brie was a nickname he had given her when they first started tutoring, he deemed it her nickname from him but being called baby, that sent butterflies throughout her whole body._

_She followed his instructions, turning the keys that hung from the ignition. The truck didn't start, which scared Gabriella, her brown eyes shooting him a look. The look of panic on her face making Troy smile softly at her. "Give it a little gas before you turn the keys. Try it again,"_

_She pressed the right peddle, giving his beat up truck a little gas before it started up. Almost as if that were the secret to her problems, she smiled at him like a five year old. "It started," She exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. This allowed Troy to let out a low laugh, taking in how adorable she was._

_"Okay, that was the easy part. Put it in reverse and back out," His voice was clam and relaxing, as he ignored the nerves that were building inside of him._

_"I can do this," Gabriella's sweet voice said, reassuring herself. Her tiny hand clutched the automatic gear shifter. With caution, she put the Ford into reverse, a sigh escaping Troy's lips as she backed out of the parking space with more ease than he thought would happen._

_"Good baby," He coaxed, smiling at the brunette whose nerves were bubbling over the edge. "Now, turn the wheel to your left," He instructed, pointing in the opposite direction they would be going. The brows of Gabriella furrowed in confusion as she looked at the blue._

_"I thought we're going this way," Her tiny hand left the wheel, pointing to the right, confusion filling her head._

_"But to back out, you need to turn your wheel the opposite way. So your wheels go in that direction," His explanation was simple and a wave of relief washed over the brunette as she understood._

_"Right," She nodded, turning her wheel to the left as she pulled a little further out. Luckily, the only car that was in parking lot was a few spots down._

_"Good, now cut the wheel," His free hand twirling in the opposite direction of how she just turned the wheel, giving her slight visual. Understanding his instructions, she cut the wheel, backing up slightly, with caution. "Now, put her in drive,"_

_"Her?" She let out a slight laugh as she listened to what he was saying, her dark eyes shooting him a look._

_"Her name is Helen," He said simply, as his eyes watched her. Making sure she didn't do anything wrong, his blue orbs filled with worry. He didn't want Gabriella hurt because of him._

_"Why is her name Helen?" She asked curiously, giving his truck a little gas, causing the pair to jerk a little as she drove just over five miles per hour._

_"She's a 1963 Ford F100, Gabriella," Almost as if she was just supposed to know that information, causing a small laugh to brush past the gloss lips of the brunette._

_"Still doesn't explain why her name is Helen," Her voice was teasing as she shot the basketball player a look. Her speed was a steady ten miles as she reached a stop sigh within East High's parking lot._

_"Because Helen Hunt was born in 1963. Keep your eyes in front of you, Brie," He tried to distract her by giving her instructions._

_"My eyes are fine, Bolton." Warning him as she looked to her right before proceeding ahead. "I always knew you had a thing for Helen Hunt," A small smirk spreading across her lips, her eyes darting to look at him for a second. She saw the red forming on his cheeks._

_"She's attractive, what can I say?" His shoulders shrugged slightly as he watched the beautiful brunette before stay focused on the road before him. "You're doing so good, Brie," He said softly, pressing his lips against her temple, making her heart beat faster._

_"No distractions, Mr. Bolton," She warned him, gripping the steering wheel tightly. She loved when he kissed her temple, just the slight brush of his lips against her skin drove her crazy. She loved hearing him call her the four letter nickname he had given her. She loved being called Brie, but most importantly, being called baby. She was fall in love with East High's Golden Boy._

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow in class," His voice was beaten down, almost as if Gabriella had defeated him.

"Yup," She nodded, stuffing the last of her papers in her bag as her brown eyes avoided the stare that was being sent towards her. Almost being drawn towards the blue stare, she looked up. Her breath was caught in her throat. "See ya," She said casually, walking towards the direction of the library's double doors.

Letting out a small sigh, Troy began to walk in the direction she was headed. He needed to stop at his locker before he headed towards his truck, Helen. Grabbing the books from his locker, he closed it with a sigh, wishing he didn't mess up the one thing that made perfect sense to him.

As his dirty converse shuffled out to his beat up truck, he adjusted the mirrors looking out behind him, something caught his attention. He squinted slightly, wondering if he was seeing right. His blue eyes widening slightly as he spotted a familiar figure walking towards the road. Gabriella was walking home. She lived more than three miles from the school.

Turning his truck on in a hurry, his mind drifted back to the moment he let a certain girl drive his truck, something he never left happen. Putting his beat up piece of metal in reverse, he hurried to catch the brunette. Cutting the wheel sharply as if she would dissappear if he didn't hurry.

Pulling upside Gabriella, the brown eyes looked in the direction of the basketball player, her headphones in her ears. As she looked at him, she rolled her chocolate colored orbs at him, pulling the white headphones from her ears.

"What do you want, Bolton?" She hissed at him, venom filling her voice.

"Are you walking home," He seemed worried. They had been at the school for at least and hour and a half after school had let out, by the time Gabriella would arrive home it would be dark out.

"No," She scoffed, sarcasm dripping in her tone.

"Get in the truck," He demanded, stopping beside her. Reaching over to unlock the door of his old beat up Ford. Turning her figure towards him, she crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes turned a dark brown, almost black.

"I'd rather walk home in negative thirty-two degree weather, putting myself at risk for hypothermia, then get in that truck with you," Turning her body again, she started walking in the direction she had been going only moments before.

Troy didn't give up, following her as she walked in the direction of her house. "Stop being stubborn, Brie. Get in," He said loudly, as he drove beside her.

"Don't call me that," She reminded him again, walking at a quicker pace. Holding her head high, she didn't look at the blue eyes that were calling her. To be honest, she missed hearing that nickname slip from his lips. She missed everything about his lips.

"Then get in the damn truck," He yelled furiously at the brunette who wouldn't look at him. Stopping she looked at him, her brown eyes filled with anger. Her narrowed eyes shooting him a look of hate.

"Fine," Her tiny hand reached for the handle, pulling the door slightly. "But you drop me off at my house. That's it," Opening the door she slide onto the bench seat of the old truck. Memories filled her mind as she thought back to the numerous times she had been in the pickup with the blue eyed boy who was driving.

"Deal," He muttered, looking at her. This wasn't going to be easy, he thought.


	4. Gravity

Thank you guys so much for your reviews! :) I'm running on no sleep right now... and I'm exhausted so please excuse my errors. :( I love you guys. Read and review please.

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**"Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.**  
**Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.**  
**But you're on to me and all over me.**

**Oh, you loved me 'cause I'm fragile.**  
**When I thought that I was strong.**  
**But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone."**

- Gravity; Sara Bareilles.

Tears fell from the brown eyes of the brunette as she laid alone in her bed, her pajamas snug on her body. She needed to go to sleep. She glanced at the clock on her night stand, her vision blurry from the salty substance that fell down her cheeks. 3:14.

"Great," She muttered to herself, sitting up in bed, throwing her covers over her body. Sliding to the edge of her bed, she closed her dark eyes. She sniffled, whipping the tears that had fallen down her face. She knew exactly why she was crying. Something that happened once and a while. Something that made her heart cold. She thought back to Troy Bolton and how in love she was with him.

She needed release. She needed something to clam her nerves, to get away from the feeling of Troy Bolton in her mind. Quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up, she shuffled towards her bedroom door, opening it with cation. She made her way down the stairs, entering a room that had been foreign territory for almost a year.

A sigh escaped the lips of the Latina as she sat down. Looking around the room she felt self discovered in, she closed her dark eyes, her tears dried on her cheeks. Gently, her hands glided across the cold keys of the musical instrument that was in front of her. The piano.

"It's been so long," She said softly, placing her hands over the white keys, her eyes still closed. Taking another big sigh, she slowly started to play a simple melody. The piano had been her release. Her escape from the world. She loved the feeling of having complete control over one thing, and that was her music.

"Something always brings me back to you, it never takes too long," Her voice was tiny as it left her lips. "No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here till the moment I'm gone. You hold me without touch. You keep me without chains," Her voice broke slightly, as her hands glided along the keys. She stopped singing as a nerve was hit, a silent tear sliding down her cheek. Her hands still played silently as her confidence to sing stopped.

"You're playing," The voice filled the empty room as Gabriella's dark eyes shot to look in the direction of the doorway, her playing ceasing. Her dark eyes met the identical ones of her father. Whipping away the tears from her face a small smile appeared across her lips.

"Yeah, it's been so long," She said softly, glancing back at the keys. He didn't question what she was doing up at nearly three-thirty in the morning or why she had tears running down her cheeks. He knew his daughter and if she wanted to tell him what was bothering her, she would. That's just how their relationship worked.

"How does it feel?" Carlos' voice was soft and comforting towards his hurt daughter.

"It's, I don't know... I mean, I miss it," Her eyes never left the white keys, her fingers gliding across the keys again. Her tiny hands seemed to be made for the white keys.

_A smile graced her lips as she looked at the blue eyed boy who was sitting next to her, they shared the tiny bench. She was so close she could feel his breathing as she watched his chest heave up and down. Her tiny hands were placed over the keys of the school's baby grand piano._

_"Play something for me," His voice was soft, yet commanding as he slipped his hand over hers in a loving way, giving her tiny hand a reassuring squeeze. His blue eyes looked into hers, a shock wave being sent through their bodies. Gabriella smiled at the basketball captain, her brown eyes shy._

_Things between the two were beginning to change, drastically. Their touches much more intimate. The looks they would send each other more longing. The kisses they would give each other filled with more than just a kiss, but it was filled with love. It's wasn't a want anymore, but a need. They needed each other._

_"I don't know what to play," Her raven colored hair falling over as she leaned her head to rest on Troy's muscular shoulder. She closed her eyes, taking in the sweet smell of him. She loved the way he smelled. A lazy smile graced Troy's lips as he lifted his hand from hers and brushed a piece of hair from her dark eyes. She was so beautiful._

_"Anything," He pleaded with her. He'd never heard her play before. He wanted to hear her sing to him. A show, just for him. _

_Slowly, her hands started to play a slow song, unrecognized by the basketball player. Her voice was light and airy, something he loved. "Something always brings me back to you, it never takes too long. No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here till the moment I'm gone," Her brown eyes looked in the direction of the blue eyes that never left her olive skin. "You hold me without touch, you keep me without chains. I've never wanted anything so much," Her voice seemed to blend with the melody of the song perfectly as she played effortlessly. Her dark eyes looked up, staring up the empty music room. "But to drown in your love and not feel your rain," Her voice dipped as her brown eyes searched for the blue that were still connected with the beautiful face of the brunette. "Set me free. Leave me be, I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity. Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be," Her voice was growing with confidence as she met the blue eyes in a locking gaze. "But you're onto me and all over me,"_

_Slowly, her playing died as the stare between the two continued, not breaking. Her hands fell into her lap as she felt Troy's husky breath over hers. His lips hovering over her glossed ones. His blue eyes intense as he connected his lips with hers. The kiss was slow almost as if time slowed down for them, their lips desperate for each other. Troy's warm hand touching the smooth cheek of Gabriella as their kiss grew with passion yet clam. Almost as if they wanted to just feel each other's lips._

_After a few moments, they pulled apart, wanting a chance to breathe. Their eyes fluttered open at the same time, foreheads against each other. The stare the two yelled on each other not breaking as Troy's thumb traced Gabriella's plump bottom lip._

_Breaking the silence, the basketball player spoke softly, words he'd never said to anyone before, feelings he never had before. His voice was raspy and a bit shaken as he spoke the forbidden words. "I love you Gabriella,"_

_Almost as if time had stopped, her heart did a whole world seemed different. She was left breathless as her brown orbs stared into the blue as his hand traced the outlines of her face. She didn't know how to respond to him, she was left speechless. "I love you too,"_

_Finally she managed to let the words leave her mouth as Troy's lips collided with hers again. The kiss they shared this time much more urgent, almost as if time was being sped up, leaving them with a certain amount of time to cling to each other. The need to be in each other's embrace increasing. They needed each other._


	5. Just Give Me A Reason

So sorry for the wait you guys! Enjoy!

* * *

**"Just give me a reason,**  
**Just a little bit's enough.**  
**Just a second we're not broken just bent.**  
**And we can learn to love again**  
**It's in the stars,**  
**It's been written in the scars on our hearts**  
**We're not broken just bent.**  
**And we can learn to love again."**

- Pink ft. Nate Ruess; Just Give Me A Reason.

* * *

_Troy's blue eyes closed from exhaustion as he stared at the computer screen._

_Taking a deep breath he ran his hand through his sand colored hair. He'd been researching colleges for what seemed like forever. He wanted to understand why things couldn't be easy for him and for Gabriella._

_The conversation they had earlier that day echoing through his mind and he was now loosing sleep over it. His eyes hurt from the light that the screen was projecting. He was tired but he needed to know what options he had. He needed to know how to be closer to her._

_He remembered the way she smiled when she got her early acceptance letter from Stanford. She rushed over to his house, telling him. A smile placed on her beautiful face. Her hair pulled into a ponytail, her curls falling from the messy do. She was clad in a sweater that made curves more evident. She looked breathtaking._

_He remembered the way she threw her arms around his strong neck, hugging him as if her life depended on that embrace. He remembered smiling even though his heart was breaking inside. He remembered the way she looked when they pulled back from the hug, the look in her happy eyes. He remembered kissing her as if it were the last kiss they would ever share. Almost as if she were leaving the next day. He remembered taking in the way she smelled. The scent he loved, coconuts. She always smelled like coconuts._

_She was so excited about the pre-law program at a school that was across the country from the college of his choice. Stanford and Columbia on opposite sides of the country. He was so willing to change his plans to be with her. He was willing to put the girl he loved before a college. He was willing to change his life to be with her._

Troy cleared his throat as he entered the classroom where the beautiful brunette was seated in her assigned seat. Her dark brown eyes glanced up at the basketball player, making his heart burst.

Raising his hand slightly at the girl, he waved. An awkward wave that he cursed himself for silently. He quickly dropped his hand back to his side causing Gabriella to look back down at the book that seemed to have captivated her attention. Letting out a small breath of air, he made his way over to the desk that was behind the brunette.

As he sank into his seat, he felt a tap on his left shoulder. As his heart began to race as he was brought back to reality. Did Gabriella really just tap him on the shoulder? As he turned around, slowly, the brown eyes met his. The beating of his heart increasing as she pursed her lips together slightly, she spoke to him. "What was that?" As the three words left his lips he saw a grin spread across Gabriella's glossed lips. The lips he missed against his.

Her voice was so sweet sounding to his ears. It wasn't cold. It was almost like she wanted to have a conversation with him, making sweat begin to form on his forehead. "I was going for a wave," Troy grinned slightly, rasing his hand slightly as his blue never left the brown that almost seemed inviting. "But realized I was way too cool for waving,"

A small laugh left Gabriella's glossed lips making a shiver spread down Troy's spine. "Oh, I thought that was more of a 'Should I wave? Oh, I'm getting the death stare, I probably shouldn't,' That's what it looked like to me anyway," Her voice was teasing towards him as she let out a small sigh. A sigh of contentment. He didn't understand for a minute what was going on.

Troy's breath was caught in his throat for a moment as the conversation registered in his mind. Was Gabriella actually talking to him or was he still asleep at home? He let out a small nervous laugh as the final bell echoed through the class room, indicating class was starting. The brunette looked down at the book in her hands, breaking eye contact with the blue eyed beauty. Troy turned in his seat slightly, still not understanding what just happened. As he settled into the wooden chair he a familiar smell entered his nose. Coconuts. Troy's heart race as the specific smell of Gabriella Montez drifted up into his nose. He missed the way she smelled.

Troy watched the brunette from the doorway, his body leaning against the cool library wall.

Gabriella's long brown hair was pulled to one side of her neck, a habit she had when she studied. He always thought she was adorable when she studied. The way she would have books and papers spread across the table. He smiled softly to himself as he titled his head slightly to really look at her. She was beautiful.

Slowly, Troy took a step closer to the Latina who was stationed at the round table. He stepped with caution as he felt his body being pulled toward Gabriella's tiny one. He didn't understand why he was about to speak to her, but he was.

As he approached her he felt the nerves begin to rise in his body. His the walls in his throat closing as he looked at her. She was breathtaking. He took a deep breath as he took the final steps towards her. She looked up at him, her brown eyes captivating his entire world. Quickly, her dark eyes darted to the clock on the wall, before she spoke softly.

"Did you want to work on the project?" Her voice was angelic to Troy's ears. Almost as if it were like before. Like she wanted to be around him. Like she wanted him to sit down across from him.

Troy struggled to let words flow from his mouth. His throat feeling like sandpaper, bringing him back to the first time he ever really spoke to the brunette.

_"I'm Troy Bolton." The blue eyed beauty said to the brunette as she settled into the uncomfortable library chair. A smile was placed on his lips. A charming one at that. Although Troy played it cool in front of Gabriella, he knew who she was. She was one of East High's smartest and most beautiful girls. Her shy persona made his heart beat faster. When his father had informed him that he would be tutored by the school's smartest girl, he was excited to actually get to know Gabriella Montez._

_"I know," She mocked his smile. Her eyes looking up at the basketball captain. Her dark eyes soaking into his. "We had study hall together in ninth grade. And history class in tenth grade. And we've been in the same homeroom class since junior high." Gabriella's smile fell off her glossed lips as Troy's eyes sunk slightly. The blue becoming sadden. "Sit down, we've got studying to do," She motioned to the seat in front of her._

_She knew exactly who Troy Bolton was. He was the school's most popular guy. The basketball captain. He always had the prettiest girlfriends and the most intoxicating blue eyes that made her knees weak. But she also knew he would probably never really see her. He'd never understand her love for certain things. The simple love she had for antique tea party sets. Or her book collection. Or the way she played piano. She didn't expect him to though, she was just tutoring him. Simple as that, she concluded in her mind._

"Uh actually, no." Troy struggled to structure a sentence as he scratched the back of his neck. The brown hair that fell from his head tickling the side of his neck. The dark eyes that looked up at him were welcoming yet at the same time confused. He didn't understand why she was being so nice to him all of the sudden. Clearing his throat he sat down at the table across from the beautiful brunette. He looked around the table at the papers that were spread across the table. Slowly, Troy looked up at the brunette, his blue eyes staring into her soul. "I wanted to know if you wanted to be friends," He asked softly, his orbs falling from hers. As his sandy hair fell over his eyes, he felt like a child again asking his mom or dad if he could have a cookie right before dinner.

"Troy..." Gabriella warned, pulling her arms closer to her body. A defense tactic she had. "I don't think we should-" She continued, starting to collect her papers. She had to get away from him. She needed to separate herself from the fact that her mind was telling her no but her heart was screaming yes.

"Brie," He begged, interrupting her, shaking his head. "Gabriella," Troy he corrected himself, trying to find the right words to reason with her. He needed her in his life. "I'm sorry," He said shamelessly, his voice just above a whisper as he searched for her eyes that now avoided his pleasing ones.

"Troy..." The fact that she was saying his name so softly made his insides turn. He missed the way she would say his name. "I just can't be put into a situation like that again," Her voice broke, shaking her head as her raven hair fell from the side of her neck.

"I won't put you into that situation again." Troy's voice was so determined.

"Do you even know what you did to me, Troy? How you made me feel. How used I felt waking up the next morning and you weren't there. You didn't call. You never even came to school the next day. You ignored me. Like I didn't even exist," She hissed, the softness in her voice slowly disappearing as she made it a point to look Troy right in the eyes. "Do you even get it?"

"I did it for you," His voice strained as his blue eyes bore into Gabriella's now violent eyes. A sarcastic laugh left the angry brunette's lips, throwing her head back.

"You did it for me?" She laughed again, standing up as she finished gathering up the rest of her papers and books. "Do me another favor never do anything else for me again?"

"Gabriella," Troy begged standing up to stop the brunette from walking away from him. "Just listen to me for two minutes without storming off," Stopping in her tracks, she turned to look at the basketball captain, her brown eyes furious.

"You don't even deserve a sec-" Troy silenced the brunette's anger with a simple lip lock. His hands pulling her waist to his as he closed his hands around her hips in a desperate need to touch her. Gabriella was in so much shock she didn't even push the basketball player away. Instead, she moved her lips against his, missing the softness that covered hers. She could feel Troy's mouth turn up into a smile as she melted into his touch. The hands that pulled her body towards his now moving to touch her face, cupping her cheek in such a way she missed more than anything, his thumb rubbing her rosy cheek softly as their lips moved against each other. Realizing what was happening, she shook her head and pulled away from Troy's embrace. Her tiny hands pushing his built chest away from her. "You can't just do that Troy!" She exclaimed, pushing him again as he backed away from the brunette in horror, afraid of the anger that was coming out of her.

"Shhh." Troy motioned to Mrs. Scott, the school's librarian as she eyed the couple from her office.

"I don't care Bolton. Do you think you can just walk right back into my life and kiss me? Is that how you fix shit, Troy?" Her normally calm voice was now more angry than before.

"Miss Montez, this is a library!" Mrs. Scott hissed at the young brunette, shooting her a disapproving look.

"Don't worry. I'm leaving," Gabriella muttered, giving Troy a look that made his heart sink down into his stomach. A look of hatred.

As the brunette turned to walk away from the blue eyed beauty tears fell from her brown orbs, as she gripped her chest. She missed those lips. She missed his kiss. She missed Troy.


	6. You Picked Me

enjoy the update! please read and review! :)

* * *

**"Like an apple on a tree,**  
**Hiding out behind the leaves.**  
**I was difficult to reach.**  
**But you picked me;**  
**Like a shell upon a beach,**  
**Just another pretty piece**  
**I was difficult to see**  
**But you picked me."**

- A Fine Frenzy; You Picked Me.

* * *

Her dark eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room as she took a seat on the stage. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes as she rested her clammy hands on white keys. Hitting a key, she matched it in pitch. Slowly letting her voice get warmed as she prepared herself to let her emotions flow onto the school's baby grand piano.

She remembered when she played in front of Troy. It was the day he told her he loved her. A month later, he made love to her. And left her, without a reason. A real reason. Troy Bolton, the school's basketball captain. The school's most popular guy. The school's most attractive male. Her heart's keeper. The first boy who ever told her he loved her. The first boy she ever gave herself to, emotionally and physically. Remembering that day the two shared, a tear slipped down her cheek. Quickly, she lifted her hand, brushing away the tear quickly. She sniffled, closing her eyes again, more tears falling from her dark orbs.

Music was her outlet. Where she could always run to when she didn't know how to handle her world. And given the fact that Troy Bolton had kissed her three days previous to her coming into the empty room and sitting down at her sanctuary. Troy kissed her. Troy said he was sorry. But sorry for what, other than the obvious? Her insides turned at the thought of his lips against hers. She missed the way he had been so gentle with her. She missed the way his lips seemed to fit perfectly with hers.

Inside, she wanted to give Troy another shot. She wanted to let him in again. But at the same time, her mind was the one with reason while her heart was pleading. Her mind was the one reminding her that he left her after she lost her virginity to him but her heart fought back saying that he was the first one that made her feel loved. And sexy. And beautiful but most importantly, visible. He was the only boy at East High that knew her. He saw her heart. He knew her passions. He knew her fears and pet peeves, the things that make her insides turn with delight and disgust. To Gabriella, Troy would always be her first love. He would always be the boy who she shared her first kiss with at her kitchen table while she taught him Chemistry. Troy was the first one who made her feel.

"I knew I could find you in here," His voice filled her ears as she jumped slightly from surprise, her dark eyes turning to look towards the figure who was behind her. Her heart jumping slightly at the sight of the basketball captain, she narrowed her eyes slightly looking at him.

"Leave me alone, Troy." She snarled turning back around, her long brown hair falling over her shoulder. Her tiny hands guided across the keys as she looked down.

"Do you want to know why I'm here?" He asked, his voice just above a whisper as he took a step closer to the beautiful Latina.

"No, I just want you to leave." Her voice was cold as she played a soft melody. Her dark eyes closing as she seemed to let the music flow through her.

"I won't listen to you." He said with slight determination in his voice as he was just behind Gabriella, the scent that lingered off him drifting into her nose as she kept her eyes closed, imagining back to the single day the shared in this room. The moment he told her he loved her.

"But you'll listen when I say this," Her voice was laced with venom as she turned slightly to see Troy was standing to her left, leaning against the beautiful musical instrument. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath, "I loved you. I loved you so much, Troy Bolton. I don't think you understand. I hated you for what you did to me. I hated you, Troy. Not knowing, being totally forgotten by you. I thought you loved me. The way you held me and told me I was beautiful. How you'd walk me to my door after you'd take me somewhere, I thought 'This is how a man loves someone.' but you leaving me, not talking to me and not even looking at me in the hallways for a whole year, that's not what a man does, Troy. That's not the Troy Bolton I fell in love with," She hissed at the blue eyed beauty, standing from her sitting position, anger in her eyes as she made contact with the oceanic blue that was before her.

"I did it for you, Gabriella!" He yelled at the brunette, his hands coming above his head in a slight rage. "God, I did it all for you!"

"I don't need you to do anything for me!" She yelled back at him, pushing his built chest with as much force as she could. "I don't need you to ignore me, or leave me, or still give me fucking butterflies when I look at you, Troy! I don't need you at all."

"You get butterflies?" His voice was several octaves lower, as he tried to make eye contact with brunette. She avoided the stare, ripping her eyes away from every look he sent her.

"Yes, Troy! You were the only boy who made me feel loved. The first boy I ever kissed. The first boy I ever had sex with. Do you not think I loved you? Do you not think that I would still get butterflies when you give those doe eyes that made my knees weak? You were the first boy to make me feel beautiful. And sexy. And loved. And visible." She said while tears fell from her dark orbs, her voice lowering as well. "You always had the prettiest girlfriends, I was the girl in the corner without a homecoming date. I was the girl who was always too afraid of trying out for the school's musical because if I got a part, no one would come and see me. I was the one who would read a book in a day not because I loved reading but because I didn't have any friends to spend my time with. My mom is dead and my dad is my best friend. I didn't have anyone my own age. But when you came along and just so happened to make me fall in love with you, I felt for the first time. I felt loved. And you ripped that away from me," She sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself as she took a deep breath from the lack of air that was in her lungs. "I was just another conquest of yours," She shrugged, believing what she had just said.

"No Gabriella, you weren't... A conquest," He strained, looking down at his feet. The dirty Converse looking much more appealing at this point. "You are the only girl I've ever loved. I'm so stupid for all the things I did to you. And you deserve an explanation as to why I haven't spoken to you for the last year and why I left you. You deserve to be seen and heard and loved because you are the most beautiful girl I've ever met. Inside and out." He pleaded softly, lifting his eyes to match the brunette's as he brought his hand up to reach for hers. Cautiously, the tiny hand rested hers in Troy's much larger one. "I'm not good enough for your love Gabriella Montez, the most amazing love that could ever come from one person." Licking his lips, he swallowed hard. "You're going off to Standford and I'll be in New York," His blue eyes bore into the confused brown. "I was doing it for you. I didn't want to hold you back. You, Gabriella Montez, are going to be the most successful person. You have the brightest future in front of you," Swallowing again, he pulled the tiny hand towards his built body in an attempt to be closer to the brunette. "I thought if I did what I did to you, it would make you hate me, it would make it easier for you to go away. Those 2,610 miles for you would be easy because you hated me. I hated myself for what I did because I loved you. I still do," Tears brimmed over the blue eyes as he stared into the brown of the brunette. "You were always my light at the end of the tunnel and for some unknown reason, you let me love you. You picked me to let me love you. Did you know how hard it was for me? How hard I cried, endless hours I spent up at night thinking about what I did to you?" A single tear fell from his eyes as he looked at the crying figure in front of them. "I wanted it to be easy for you to let go. I wanted you to just get on the plane and fly to California without a second guess about me, Brie. I wanted you to have the most amazing future and if I was the one holding you back from that, I never would've let myself live with that. That's how much I love you, Brie." Troy's voice was broken just like his heart that was inside of his chest.

"I... I don't," She choked slightly, pulling away from the hand that Troy held onto.

"Brie, please just, let me kiss you," He begged her, stepping closer to the brunette. His blue eyes bore into her brown that were both filled with tears. He missed her lips so much. He missed her. His free hand lifted to touch the smooth, tear streaked face of the brunette

"Kiss me," She said softly, clasping her free hand over the one on her cheek.

Time slowed down for the two as they shared a moment. A moment neither of them wanted to let go. Their lips molded together in a way that made both of their insides turn with happiness yet sadness at the same time. The kissed they shared causing both of them to close their eyes with such force, swearing that they wouldn't open back up. Troy let out a small sigh as he pulled Gabriella's shaken body towards his own in a desperate need to be close to her again.

Troy Bolton needed Gabriella Montez. He needed her more than anything else in his life.


	7. So Much Time

**"He can't get out of bed this morning**  
**You can tell that he's been crying**  
**From the stains on his pillow case last night**  
**He wonders why he got no warning**  
**He wonders all the time**  
**Well maybe in his dreams he'll make it right**

**He finally pulls himself together**  
**And tries to face his life**  
**But the thought of her cripples him inside**  
**He wonders if she thinks about him**  
**Or if she feels alright**  
**These thoughts don't seem to leave his mind"**

- Boyce Avenue; So Much Time

* * *

Troy's heavy eye lids fluttered open in frustration. He couldn't fall asleep to save his life.

He lay shirtless in his giant bed, alone. Spreading his arms out, his fingers drifted over the red sheets of his king sized bed. The only thoughts that entered his mind were of a certain brunette. A brunette that hadn't left his mind in over a year. The girl that made his heart flutter. The Latina that made not only his whole body feel complete. But his everything. He felt complete with her. His mind. His body. His heart. His everything seemed to be complete with her in his life. But all Troy could think about were the words Gabriella said to him right after they kissed. Right as he was coming down from his high of her lips lingering on his. The words were haunting him.

Turning over with a huff, Troy imagined her tiny hands grasping at his shaggy hair, pulling his strong figure towards her Hispanic body. He imagined his lips falling over the most sensitive parts of her body. Parts of her body he had only been a handful of times. Closing his beautiful eyes he thought back to his desperation to be near her. To be with her.

_"Mmmm, Troy," Gabriella's voice was raspy as her tiny hands grazed the toned back of the basketball player that hovered her semi naked body. Troy's skilled hands gripped the small Latina's hips as his lips suctioned onto the exposed skin just above Gabriella's left breast, as his hand slowly worked it's way up to her right breast._

_They had retreated to the red and white room that belonged to the basketball player almost an hour ago, claiming to the Bolton parents they would be studying. Studying was long forgotten when Troy's lips found the side of the brunette's neck. He stole her attention away from the Chemistry book that was before them and they were studying much better things._

_"You like that?" He murmured against her skin, causing a giggle to erupt out of the back of Gabriella's throat due to the vibrations that tickled her skin. The sensations caused a tiny hand drifted up to tangle the chestnut colored hair. Soon the giggles faded as his kisses resumed, the brunette let out a huff of air that was followed by a low moan as Troy's lips covered her bare breast._

_"Troy!" She gasped, closing her brown eyes in pleasure as she gripped the shaggy hair that she loved more than anything. The hand that slowly made it's way up the flat stomach of the brunette kneed her right breast as his mouth moved against her exposed chest. Pulling away from the brunette, the blue eyes looked up to see the small girl who laid in his bed shirtless, her chest exposed. He'd never seen her like this before. So beautiful. So peaceful. She was love._

_Her eyes opening almost with annoyance from lack of warmth Troy's lips provided. The brown bore into the blue that belonged to the basketball player. A lazy smile tugged on East High's captain as he slowly leaned up, his bare chest rubbing against the Latina's. Chills were sent through their bodies, sparks exploded. Their skin brushing against each others, it was like the first time they touched._

_A blush crept up on the cheeks of the brunette as she finally realized how exposed she actually was. As a reflex she went to cover her chest. The hand that gripped the tiny hip bone swiftly grabbed the hand that was trying to hid herself from the blue eyed beauty, moving it with a little force. His eyes never leaving hers. He laced his fingers within her painted ones, he wanted her to remember this moment forever. His blue eyes stared into the earth shattering brown, his heart skipping a beat as he thought back to the night before. He had spent three hours surfing the internet on cheap airplane tickets and better cell phone plans for the two teenagers. Grazing his nose across her soft cheek, he placed a small kiss on it before returning to their stare._

_"Do you love me?" He asked softly, breaking the silence. He could feel the breath hitched in the chest of the brunette. Her eyes widening slightly as the grip she had on the basketball player's hand tighten slightly. Her eyes were told the answer to Troy's question. His eyes looked so vulnerable. He needed to hear her sweet voice._

_The voice that left the mouth of the beautiful girl that lay beneath the basketball player so soft, so soothing. "Of course," She smiled, her hand running through the thick mane of chestnut colored hair. "Why would you even ask that?"_

_"I just wanted to hear you say it," A smiled tugged his lips as they connected with the slightly swollen one's of Gabriella. The kiss was so gentle, so loving._

_"I love you Troy Bolton," She murmured against his lip lock, pulling his figure closer to hers in a desperate need to be closer to her. That was all he needed to hear at that moment. Just hearing her say those three words to him made his heart flutter. He needed to hear those words._

_"I love you too, Brie. And I'll always be _yours._" He stressed the last word as he pressed his lips to hers again, this time with much more force. His emotion and passion seeping through his skin onto hers._

* * *

Sleep filled his eyes as he stretched to look at the time that his cell phone light illuminated. 6:57 AM.

"Shit," He cursed to himself as he pushed his tired body from his giant bed. He was almost a half an hour late getting up for school. Damn you Gabriella Montez. After Troy had rolled around in his thoughs for what seemed two hours, he finally fell asleep just after three in the morning. To say he was tired was an understatement.

He blamed her simply because he was brought back to certain memories the two shared within the walls of his room. His mind being brought back to the numerous moments the couple held together. As he looked back the bed, he imagined her shirtless figure laying beneath his. His body hovering over her tiny one, looking into the beautiful eyes.

Her remembered her lips and they way they tasted. He missed the way her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his. Her missed the way her button nose would scrunch up in delight whenever he would burry his face into her perfectly shaped neck.

And he believed he could get that back, somehow. He believed in himself and Gabriella.

Rushing into the doors of East High just in time before the final bell rang, Troy raced to his locker. His hair was still wet from the shower he took before he hurried out the front door of his empty house. Spinning his combination into his locker, he looked to his left to see his bushy haired best friend, Chad headed towards his way. A small smirk crossed the captains face as he struggled to grab the books of his locker.

"Hey Hoops, you in a hurry or something?" Chuckling lightly, as the dark skinned boy leaned up against the old metal next to Troy's locker.

"I have Darbus for homeroom, man. She'll kill me if I'm late," He forced a smile to his best friend as he rushed past him. Hoping to slip past his questions again. Chad and Troy had been best friends since the first day of kindergarten when Chad threatened that he would tell on Troy because the then blue eyed five year old had a hidden snack in his backpack. Troy simply solved that problem by offering half of his giant peanut butter cookie to the Afro haired boy.

Chad knew about Gabriella. He knew that Troy not only took her innocence but gave her his. Yes, Troy Bolton was a virgin the night he had slipped his manhood into Gabriella's untouched opening. He saved himself for a girl that meant something, a girl that actually held a place in his heart. He hadn't told her because he was Troy Bolton. The school's hot shot. The coolest guy in the school. The basketball captain. He was supposed to get the girl in bed, wasn't he? But he didn't until Gabriella Montez tutored his way into his life.

Chad knew that Troy never felt so strongly about anyone before. He knew the pain Troy harbored because of the hurt he caused the one girl who burrowed so far into his heart. Troy knew he could trust Chad. Chad was Troy's brother. Blood or not.

"You've been acting weird the past couple days, man. Is something going on?" Chad pressed the question he asked two days previous when the two best friends played a game of one on one and Troy played the worst game since he had left Gabriella almost a year ago. He knew something was up and he only ever played terrible when it was about the Latina that caused him so much heartbreak. Letting out a heavy sigh, he rounded the final corner to his homeroom class, Troy looked at Chad. He shrugged before he shook his damp hair.

"I'm fine man. I'm just thinking about a lot, okay?" The dark skinned boy just simply nodded before placing his hand on the basketball captain's shoulder and shaking it slightly. He was reassuring the blue eyed beauty without saying a word. Slowly, Troy made his way into his homeroom class, feeling the wrath of the drama teacher. He was a minute late.

"Mr. Bolton, so nice of you to join us this morning. Please take a seat, announcements will begin soon," The older lady stated pointing to his regular seat. Just as Troy slid into his seat a piece of paper was placed in front of him. A pink slip he was all to familiar with. He let out a groan. Detention.

"Seriously? I was a minute late," He complained, looking up at the lady with a slight glare.

"A minute is a minute none the less, Mr. Bolton. I'll be seeing you at three o'clock." Great, a detention. He huffed, sinking further into his seat as he crossed his arms over his chest. This day is already going to _shit_.

* * *

Troy let out a sigh as he entered the gym. His sneakers squeaked against the polished floor. He remembered the way the crowd screamed his name during last years championship game. They chanted his name as he dribbled the orange ball to the hoop, a knowing smirk plastered on his perfectly formed face. Troy loved one thing more than he loved basketball. And that was Gabriella Montez.

The giant E that was stationed in the middle of the shiny floor seemed so far away to the blue eyes. He didn't understand why he was feeling so lost. He didn't understand why things were so hard for him right now. His blue eyes looked over his right shoulder to see the jerseys that were hung. His team mates. His best friend. His number. His jersey. He shook his head, he didn't deserve to have his jersey to be hung up on the wall. He didn't deserve to be showcased as a school hero when he didn't even have the courage to be with the one he loved.

His eyes shifted slightly, looking to his right he noticed his dad had left out a rack of orange basketballs. Shuffling towards them, he reached for them. Dribbling the orange sphere within his hands, he shot the ball. His knees bent to the right degree. His wrist angled perfectly as the ball roll off his fingers. Though the shot seemed perfect, it was far from that.

It was just a mistake. Troy reminded himself, grabbing another ball, repeating the same thing he did only moments before, failing. Shaking it out, he repeated the sequence over and over again until the rack of orange balls was empty. The sweat that gathered on his forehead making him frustrated Troy grabbed his now throbbing head and took a deep breath before he let out the most earth shattering scream. It echoed the room, surprising even Troy at how loud it really was.

His blue eyes were furious. Confused. He didn't understand what was going on. He spotted an orange basketball rolling towards him, picking it up he threw it in the direction of the hoop with no real determination to make it into the netted rim. The basketball captain let out another scream.

"Troy?" The voice of his best friend filled the gym. His voice was so soft yet it still echoed off of the empty walls of the giant gym. The blue now almost black eyes looked in the direction of his bushy haired team mate.

"Chad, what are you-" He panted slightly, bending to place his hands on his knees. He was trying to regain his breath.

"Is this about Gabriella?" He was so blunt about his question Troy froze. His eyes shooting up to look in the direction of his brother. Anger was pumping through his veins, he didn't quite understand.

"What makes you think that?" The captain spat, collecting the numerous balls that were spread throughout the gymnasium.

"I haven't seen you play this shitty since you broke things off with her last year." Chad confessed taking a careful step towards his captain. A glare was sent in the direction of Troy's best friend, daggers. Holding up his hands, the dark skinned boy shook his head. "I'm just saying, Hoops. I know how you felt about her."

"Feel. How I feel, Chad. Nothings changed," He confessed, his chest heaving from the lack of oxygen. The lack of Gabriella Montez.

"Have you tried to talk to her?" This was a stupid question, even for Chad. Actually, this was something he would normally hear of the mouth of his other close friend, Jason. A fellow basketball player and teammate on the Wildcats.

Troy scuffed, picking up a ball tossing it to his best friend. "She hates me, man." Shaking his head, the shaggy bangs fell into his eyes. "I've tried to be her friend. I can't just be her friend. I told her everything and then we kissed," Chad's face lit up, a smile crossing his lips.

"That's great man!" He was so excited for his teammate. His captain. His best friend. His brother.

"No. She told me she never wanted to see me again and that she's going to talk to Patterson about a partner switch." The words left his mouth regretfully as he gripped the red and white practice jersey he had on. He gripped his heart. Or the shell of where his heart would be if he had one. "I was honest with her and she still wants nothing to do with me."

"Maybe she just needs time." His suggestion was something Troy had taken into consideration within the last forty-eight hours. He also considered standing outside of Gabriella's house with an old boom box blasting an 80's song. He considered climbing her balcony like he had half a dozen times last year and singing her a song that reminded him of her. And lastly, he considered driving his old truck off of the nearest cliff. He considered a lot of things the within the last two days. He hadn't spoken to the brunette and she made no effort to make any sort of contact with him. He considered skipping town and finding a circus to join, many things crossed his mind. Though the only one that made sense to him was that Gabriella hated him and wanted nothing to do with him.

"I need her."


	8. I'll Be Missing You

**"It's kinda hard with you not around, yeah.**  
**Know you in heaven smilin' down**  
**Watchin us while we pray for you**  
**Every day we pray for you**  
**Til the day we meet again**  
**In my heart is where I'll keep you friend**  
**Memories give me the strength I need to proceed**  
**Strength I need to believe.**"

- Puff Daddy; I'll Be Missing You

* * *

Gabriella didn't know what to do.

The brunette readjusted herself on her bed as she finished her homework. Her brown eyes seemed to just stare at the paper in front of her. She was so lost. She felt like her heart was ripped out of her chest. Tears began to swell as she thought of the previous week. One hundred and twenty short hours ago she fought with Troy and he kissed her. Two days later he snuck up on her as she played the piano. He confessed to her. He told her everything and for some unknown reason, she told him she never wanted to see him again. Thinking back, she almost forgave everything he did to her. She almost made love to him in the giant empty room. She almost did. It took everything in her mind, body, and soul not to crawl into his arms. It took every single cell in her body not to collapse in his touch. She almost gave in.

She lied to him. She wanted to hold him in her arms. She wanted to kiss his sweet lips. She wanted to hear him tell her he loved her. She wanted nothing but to be loved by the blue eyes. She wished he would come right out and tell at the top of his lungs that he loved Gabriella. She wanted him to tell all of East High that Troy Bolton, the golden boy, basketball captain, and ladies man, was completely and utterly in love with the school's nerd. The girl who had the best GPA. The girl who had one friend. The girl who let herself into the auditorium to play the piano after school hours. She wanted to hear Troy declare his undying love for her. She wanted him to fight to be with her, in a way.

But now it was Friday night and Gabriella was laying in her bed, doing homework. She needed out of the four walls of her room. The four walls that kept her locked in her thoughts. Thoughts of Troy Bolton. The thoughts of the sealed letter on her nightstand. The thoughts of her mother. Thoughts that seemed to drown her in sadness.

She wondered if he was thinking of her in that moment. She wondered if he was as stressed about her as she let her mind be. She wondered if he was doing the exact same thing at that exact same moment. She imagined he was spending his time with Chad and the rest of the East High basketball team. She figured he was lost in his own world… completely forgetting the brunette.

Glancing down at her phone she noted that she had no texts or calls. Surprise, she scoffed inside of her head. She was waiting for him to break through again. She was waiting for him to not listen to her again. She was waiting for him to show up at her balcony doors sweep her off her feet. She wanted his actions to overpower his words. She wanted him but she didn't want to be hurt.

Her dark eyes darted to the white envelop that sat on her nightstand. Something she had been ignoring for the past week. She didn't want to open it. She had enough stress. She had enough going on with Troy. She didn't need the rejection of something else in her life. Right now. She didn't need this. She needed out. She needed something.

Her mom. She needed her mom.

* * *

A fake smile graced the lips of the basketball player as his friends drug him to yet another party.

The blue eyes scanned the room for anyone who wasn't wasted. A familiar face. A sober face. Letting out a sigh, he got up from his current position. Carefully he made his way through the mounds of people who gathered in the giant house of his friend, Sharpay Evans. It seemed every time her parents were out of town she threw a party. And it seemed her parents were out of town every weekend.

Parties weren't really his thing. Surely Troy Bolton had gotten drunk before. A number of times he had woken up at Chad's house with a hangover. But tonight, he just wasn't really feeling like partying. Or drinking. Or smiling, really. He just wanted to be with Gabriella.

Slowly he reached the white doors of the giant Evans' mansion. He needed out. He needed air. Opening the door the fresh New Mexico fall air hit him like a ton of bricks. Taking a deep breath, the smell of the air filled his lungs. He smiled slightly, he loved this time of year. Cold but not freezing. The perfect time to fall in love. He couldn't fall in love though. He already was.

He was in love with a certain bookworm, light footed, shy brunette who made his insides turn to gush when she smiled. He loved the way she'd push a piece of hair behind her ear and duck her head when she blushed. He loved the way she so gracefully let her fingers play on the piano. He loved every single thing about her. He loved that when he kissed her lips would automatically curve into a smile. A smile he could still feel on his lips. He loved her. And he needed her. And he was completely aware that she hated him. That was the worst part about it. She hated him.

* * *

A small sigh escaped the lips of the Latina as she shifted her car in park. Her brown eyes almost becoming black as she looked to the right. The green grass of the cemetery filling her dark eyes. She could feel the tears in her eyes swelling. She didn't even get out of the car yet and she could feel the sadness pouring from her body. Turning the keys to shut the car off, she let her arm fall limp as she fought with herself to get out of the car.

She needed her mother right now and all she had was stone where her body lay underneath. She didn't have her hug. Or kiss. She still remembered how she smelled. The way her dark hair fell just above her shoulders. The smile that resembled her daughters almost identically. The dark eyes that seemed to smile when she did. She couldn't forget her mother. The woman who was so close to her heart. The one who had been her best friend up until her sixteenth birthday. The day she lost her mom.

Maria Montez had always been a fighter. She fought with the hospital she worked at to go to every single one of Gabriella's piano recitals. She fought with the school when Gabriella had received a B on her report card. She fought with the cell phone company when her insurance didn't completely cover her smart phone. She was a fighter. A fighter who was just as strong on the outside as she was on in the inside. She never backed down from a fight. And that didn't change when it came to an illness that ate away at her muscles. Maria Montez fought to the last day she died.

Gabriella thought back to the day she saw her mother last. The day Maria Montez laid in the hospital bed, her inviting smile still placed on her lips. She smiled at her only child, her frail hand being gripped tightly in the smooth hand of the young brunette. She couldn't grip the hand in hers but she wanted to. She had been put on a feeding tube four days previous to Gabriella's visit. She hadn't been able to swallow or chew any of her food. The doctors said it was only a matter of time before she would slip away.

The brown eyes of the brunette closed, tears spilling down her cheeks as she looked to grave that she still hadn't approached. Her mother had so much strength. Her mother had the strength of a thousand armies. And Gabriella couldn't get out of her tiny gray car to sit beside her.

It had almost been two years. She lost her mother to a fatal disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS. She didn't understand why her mother. She was so young. So full of life. So happy. So strong. She'd never fully understand why her mother had to go. She had fought the terrible disease for a little over a year, until her body finally let the disease win.

Her dark eyes looked out at the green grass again, unbuckling seatbelt that held her into the car. Gabriella took a deep breath, gathering all the strength she could as she grabbed the beautiful arrangement of flowers. Lilies. Purple lilies. They were Maria's favorite. Gabriella's shaking hand also grabbed a letter. A letter that hadn't been opened. A letter that sealed her fate, so to say. A new fate. A passion.

Stepping out into the beautiful weather, she closed her eyes. The fresh scent of New Mexico air hit her lungs like a ton of bricks. This time of year was so beautiful to her. A time for her to fall in love. A time for her to renew herself. A time she missed. A time that made her think of her mother. Opening her eyes she noted that the sun was setting. A beautiful site really. It seemed that it gave her another reason as to why fall was her favorite season.

The sky was mixed with an orange and pink. Clouds covering the sky, not in a gloomy way but a way that made everything so romantic and real. A site that made her stomach turn slightly. A site that reminded her of a blue eyed boy who hadn't let her mind in a year. A boy that had her heart in a bunch.

Approaching the stone that read Maria Montez, 1965-2009. She smiled to herself hearing her mother's angelic voice fill her head. Maria always stated she never looked a day over twenty five. She was so youthful and happy. Full of life. Full of strength. Kneeling beside the grave of her deceased mother, Gabriella touched the cold stone. Her fingers grazing across the engraved art work. Tears brimming her eyes again as she slid down onto the ground, letting her body parts become limp. She hugged the headstone, letting a sob escape her tiny mouth.

"Mama," She gasped lightly, inhaling a breath she needed. She could almost smell Maria. She remembered the scent that always drifted off of her. Jasmine and vanilla. "I need you now more than ever." She said softly, letting go of the cold stone. Her brown orbs darkening as she wiped the falling tears from her eyes. "I um, I haven't visited you in almost a month." She whispered to the headstone, almost as if it would talk back to her. She placed the flowers she purchased in front of her before she grabbed the envelop out of her pocket. She sniffled before her blurry vision focused in on the site in front of her. This was it. A letter. "I got my letter the other day, mama. I haven't opened it yet though," It was a letter from the school of her dreams. A school her mother had always had dreams of her attending. A dream that almost seemed like it was in her grasps.

Clearing her throat slightly, she flipped the white envelop over. Her shaking hands gliding across the enclosed letter. "I wanted to wait to open it. I wanted to open it with you." She choked out looking at the headstone. Her dark eyes becoming a shade lighter. "I haven't even told Daddy yet." She added, before, slipping her pointer finger under the unopened flap of seal paper. "Well, here goes nothing." Ripping open the white envelop she pulled out a single piece of off colored paper. A cream almost. The color made her beyond nervous. Unfolding the letter in her hands, her dark eyes scanned the letter before her horse voice spoke. "Miss Montez, Our admissions committee has reviewed your application to Julliard School and you have been accepted for the fall semester of 2012," Her voice choked in her throat as tears begin to fill her eyes for a different reason. She was going to her dream school. A school that her mother had always encouraged her to go to. A school Gabriella had dreamed of from such a small age. A school that was less than five miles from the boy who had her heart. Columbia.

Julliard was her dream. And she was once step closer to living her dream.


	9. Before it's Too Late

Before you guys read this chapter, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your amazing support. And right now, seeing your reviews and reading what you guys have to say means so much to me. I've been having a really hard time lately with stuff going on with my life. And this story and this site is how I've been able to cope with a lot of it. Writing is something I love doing and I just want to thank you guys for letting me do that. You are amazing. Thank you again for being amazing. I couldn't do it without you guys. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! Read and review cause it means so much to me! Love you guys.

* * *

"The risk that might break you,  
Is the one that would save  
A life you don't live is still lost,  
So stand on the edge with me;  
Hold back your fear and see  
Nothing is real 'til it's gone.

Hold on before it's too late,  
We'll run till we leave this behind.  
Don't fall just be who you are;  
It's all that we need in our lives."

**- Goo Goo Doll; Before It's Too Late**

* * *

Taking in a deep breath, the blue eyed basketball player took a step into the white walls of his high school. The red and white seemed to blend so great together but today, he just wanted to be home. Home. His bed. His comfy bed.

His weekend seemed to drag on and all his thoughts seemed to roll back to one smiling brunette with the amazing talent of playing piano. He tried to live his life by shooting hoops but it just brought him back to the time he had taught the bookworm to shoot a basket. He tried to finish his homework from that Friday and all he seemed to think about was sitting in his room with the Hispanic teenager, their lips connected in a sweet kiss. Even when he ate his mind went back to Gabriella Montez.

Shaking his the brunette from his thoughts, he smiled at the group of athletes walking towards him. The white teeth of the basketball player showcased as he nodded towards his fellow basketball players. The nod, Gabriella would always call it, seemingly mocking him and his slight acknowledgment towards his friends. He was a great actor, he concluded to himself. He was perfect at acting like everything was dandy and sweet but he knew it wasn't. Troy knew he wasn't himself. He knew he hadn't been himself in so long.

Covering his mouth as he yawned, his blue eyes shot to a very particular brunette. The brunette he hadn't stopped thinking about. The brunette who looked beautiful. Her tan skin covered by a lace floral dress. The color was mint. She looked breath-taking, so beautiful. So amazing looking. Her long brown hair in a curly mess. The ringlets of her hair falling over her shoulders in the simplest way that made his toes curl with delight. She was so delicate like a rose in a field of daisies. She was the best apple on the tree. She was the most and best.

Gabriella felt the eyes on her. She could feel his blue orbs burning a hole into her body. She could see his chest heaving up and down but he didn't dare look him in the eyes. That was the last thing she needed. His eye contact was like signing your soul over. Once you did it, there was no turning back. Her fingers gripped the leather strap of her purse as she shut her locker door with a sigh. She needed the strength now. Her mother's strength. Taking a step she headed in the direction or her home room. Her heart rate increasing as the blue eye followed her body. She could feel his eyes. They never left her curvy figure. All she wanted to do was run to his arms. But she wouldn't.

'Don't look at him, don't look at him, Gabriella.' She kept reminding herself. She wanted to look at him. She wanted to do more than just look at him. She wanted to kiss him. And touch him. And love him. She wanted to tell him about her acceptance to the college that was so close to his. She had told him about Stanford when she got in the previous year, but what he didn't know was Julliard was her first choice. A choice that had always been number one. A dream really, a dream that was now able to happen.

This was the part of the day Gabriella had been dreading. Would Troy try to talk to her? Would he even try and make eye contact with her? What would he do? Her heart was racing. Her hands were sweaty and her head was starting to hurt from all the stress. He kept his distance and let his eyes do the talking. They were desperate for her.

* * *

His shaggy hair shook as he entered his dad's office.

The white walls of the locker room seemed to remind Troy of some sort of Disney movie. The walls painted perfectly with school spirit. A red paw prints painted perfectly as if a wildcat did the artwork. It was annoying him. He could hear his breathing as he made his way down the main hallway of the room he spent hours in. His dirty converse squeaking against the clean floors. The locker room was empty, something he expected since his dad didn't have a class.

"Dad?" He asked rounding the corner to his dad's office. Jack Bolton stationed at his desk. A bologna sandwich on wheat. His blue eyes darted to the bag of salted pretzels to his right and a bottle of purified water. His mother, Lucille, must not have had time to pack his lunch that morning because she wouldn't have packed such a terrible lunch, Troy actually laughed to himself as he watched his father down the bite of his sandwich. Swallowing before eyeing his on curiously.

"Troy, shouldn't you be in class?" Troy was almost a splitting image of his father. Bright blue eyes. Chiseled jaw. Sandy brown hair that was blonde as a child. A smile that seemed to light a room. And a heart of gold.

A small silence washed over the father and son as Troy took small steps towards his father. He didn't understand why he was so scared or what was the problem. At this point, Troy wasn't the school's basketball captain. He wasn't the most popular boy at East High. He was just Jack Bolton's son. Cautiously, he took a seat in a car that across from his father's desk. His blue eyes intensifying in such a way that caused Jack's eyes to do the same. "I actually wanted to talk to you, if that's okay?"

"Do I wanna know?" He winced, trying to ease whatever Troy was harboring. A small grin spreading across the face of the coach as he noticed his son relax a little in the chair. At first, Troy didn't respond. He just looked at his dad for a moment, taking in his features. The blue eyes. The receding hairline. The larger arms. The wrinkles. Features that he figured he would soon inherit. Shrugging, the captain took a deep breath again, running a hand through his boyish hair. "You didn't kill anyone, did you?"

Letting out a real laugh, Troy grinned at his dad. He shook his head, clasping his hands in his lap before settling back into the uncomfortable chair. "When did you know you were in love with mom?"

A silence settled between the two again as Jack looked at his son curiously. He didn't understand where this was coming from. Though, he didn't question his son's actions. He knew he had a reason for asking such questions. Troy didn't do anything without a real reason. "Well, Troy, do you know how I met your mother?"

Troy nodded. "You guys went to school together, right?"

Jack grinned slightly, nodding as well. "I was a year older than her. It was my senior year. Her junior year. She wasn't in my social group. She was always kind of the… geek," He almost cringed calling the love of his life that. Troy's heart began to beat heavily inside of his chest. This sounded all too familiar. "Anyway, I was studying in the library one day after school, and I heard someone crying. I stopped asking if they were okay," He paused, his blue eyes glossing over almost as if he were watching the scene inside of his head. "It was your mother. She was crying because she said no one would ever ask her to prom." He looked at his son with such intensity it almost made Troy fall backwards in his chair. "So, I asked her. I asked her to my senior prom. I didn't know anything about her other than she was a geek and I was a jock, so to say.

"So, for the next few months leading up to prom, your mother and I started to become friends. I loved the way she smelled. Her smile was so beautiful. She was one of the only girls I knew that had glasses too. She helped me studied for my finals. And one time, she even made me lunch for a whole week when your grandparents were out-of-town," He smiled at his son before looking down at the poorly packed lunch he had thrown together that morning. "She was the shies and smartest girl I'd ever met." He paused again. "And the most beautiful." He trailed off again, his blue eyes wandering off as he thought of his beautiful wife.

"How did you know though dad?" Troy pressed, digging his nails into the armrests of the chair he'd been sitting in. This was almost stressing him out.

"The night of my senior prom, when I went to pick her up at her house. Her father shook my hand so hard, I'll never forget." The grin on his face never leaving as he clenched his fist into a ball before looking at his son. "But when your mother came downstairs in her prom dress, my gosh. That's when I knew. I'd never seen anything so beautiful. I knew I was in love with her in that moment."

This caused Troy to slam against the chair with a thud, pulling Jack from his thoughts of his gorgeous wife. His eyebrows raising carefully at his only child. "What's this all about, son?"

"I'm in love." He was so blunt about it. He had admitted to his father about his feelings. He let the beans spill. Though, his father had noticed things change in his son so long ago.

"Well how did you know when you were in love with this girl?" Now Jack was in Troy's seat, asking the questions. Dying to know the answers, though Jack was smart enough to know how his son already felt. He knew he was in love.

"When I heard her sing," The voice that escaped his mouth barely above a whisper as he thought back to the moment the two shared in the empty room. Just them, the piano and their hearts.

"It's not Sharpay Evans, is it?" Jack basically choked on his words, cracking a grin on his face. This pulling Troy from his thoughts. A real laugh leaving his lips. Sharpay was a whole different type of woman. Not Troy's type. Troy loved her, but as a friend. The drama queen wasn't really anyone's type. She was dramatic. And hectic. And high maintenance. And not Gabriella.

"No dad," He chuckled, letting his hand scratch the back of his neck as he bit his lip. "When I heard her sing to me, this girl," He confirmed, his eyes glossing over like his fathers did moments before. "It was like everything else stopped. There was East High or social cliques. Or colleges. Or our futures, just us."

"Well than, what's the problem?" That was the problem that haunted Troy. The question that kept him up at night. The question that kept him from running the Gabriella's house in the middle of the night.

"I screwed up." He confessed, digging his head into his hands. He sighed deeply, running his hands over his eyes, rubbing them with aggression.

"I'm sure Gabriella will come around," This caused Troy to jolt up and look at his father with such surprise. He knew? He knew about his love for Gabriella.

"How did you know?" His voice just above a whisper. He couldn't believe this.

"I know that look, Troy Alexander," The smile Troy had inherited flashing across his fathers face. "It's the Bolton love look. Your grandfather told me about it when he saw me with your mother. And I saw you with Gabriella. Trust me, I know." He reassured his son.

"But, I royally screwed up, dad. I'm throwing myself a pity party over here. You're invited. Bring lots of dip and salsa. " The sarcasm seeping from his pores. He shook his head, his shaggy hair falling into his intoxicating eyes.

"You're a Bolton, no pity parties. And if you really want to win Gabi back, sing for her. Be romantic. Remind her why you when you fell in love with her. " His fatherly advice was better than Chad's. Chad had suggested buying her the box set of Twilight books. Which caused him to come crawling to his dad.

"Are you sure you're not my guidance counselor? And I don't sing dad," He laughed at his coach almost as if he should just know.

"When you were younger you'd always sing Johnny Cash to me. Or in elementary school I'd put Journey on in the car and I'd have to tell you to shut up because you were distracting me while I was driving," The chuckle that passed the lips of the older Bolton seemed to mimic Troy's.

"I was like… eight." He sighed frustrated, running his hand through his hair again.

"If you love this girl as much as it seems you do, you'll do whatever it takes to get her back. Even if it means singing to her. Or making a complete ass of yourself." He said sternly, his eyes locking with his sons. Troy nodded, the intensity of their eyes never breaking once.

"I already did that," He murmured, falling again into the chair.

"Well than, looks like you'll have to sing to her, son. Before it's too late." Jack smiled at Troy. A real smile that caused Troy to actually feel somewhat better.

"Thanks dad," He was truly thankful for having someone like Jack Bolton as a father, a coach, but also a best friend.

"You're welcome," The blue eyes twinkled at his son as he scribbled down on a yellow piece of paper. "Now get to class before you get in trouble," He pushed the pass to the younger version of himself.


	10. Can't Fight This Feeling

"And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
And throw away the oars forever

'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for  
Even if I have to crawl up on your floor  
Come crashing through your door  
Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore."

**- REO Speedwagon; Can't Fight This Feeling.**

The putter of Troy's old truck pulled Gabriella out of her thoughts.

The pair had arranged to meet at her house that evening for the project. Despite the brunette's protests, Mr. Patterson had completely ignored her request on a partner change this far into the project. She was stuck with Troy from this moment forward. And somehow, they were stuck working on the project at Gabriella's house that Wednesday evening.

The last time the basketball player had been inside the gray house, he made the brunette promise to not regret what had happened between the two. The last time he was alone with Gabriella inside the house, he took her purity from her. And this time, he concluded to himself, he wasn't stopping until she was his again.

Looking out of the window, her dark eyes landed on the graceful figure, Troy Bolton. She could see his gorgeous blue eyes as he searched inside of his truck for something. His books? His sanity? No, he didn't have one of those. Reluctantly, she peeled her eyes away from the beauty who had closed the door to his old beaten up truck she had driven once.

He looked breath taking, she concluded. So cute. So built. She could see the muscles that were flexing underneath his baseball shirt. The red and white shirt she'd seen him wear a handful of times. She figured it was his favorite shirt. The red 3/4s sleeves made his muscular arms bulge slightly, the white cotton fabric clinging to his chest in a way that made her core drip with a substance. She was slightly turned on at the thought of Troy Bolton working out. 'No, Gabriella stop it.' She reminded herself, slightly.

She ignored the butterflies in her stomach and fire that shot from her core as she looked to her left to see the paper she had opened less than a week ago. Her acceptance letter to Julliard. Her future. She glanced down at what she was wearing. Sweatpants and an old t-shirt her father had gotten her for Christmas the previous year. Troy was probably going to knock on the door any second now, which caused the butterflies in her nervous stomach to flutter even more. Great, just what she needed.

As if on cue, she heard a light knock. The heart inside of her chest was going crazy as she slowly approached the door that was in front of her. She didn't know how to answer the door. They weren't at school, so being a total bitch to him was completely okay, right? She was fighting with herself as she went to open the door. Should she ignore her urges and kiss him or go with what her head was saying and ignore the fact that he was at her house?

Slowly, she cracked the door open, revealing a tall figure. A beautiful tall figure who was holding a casserole dish. The scent of the basketball player and the casserole dish hit her at once. The aroma of the attractive blue eyed male overpowering whatever was in the dish. Her orbs sent daggers to the basketball player as he sent her a small grin, pushing the covered dish towards her. Brownies, she concluded.

"What's this?" She tried to lace her voice with as much poison as she could, but for some unknown reason when she saw him standing there with a smile on his face and a dish of something she often made for them on their study date, it made her insides turn with delight.

"Brownies." He shrugged, taking a step inside, the scent that wafted off of him almost making Gabriella's knees collapse beneath her. He made sure his body brushed Gabriella's in the slightest way because he knew that it drove her just as crazy as it drove him when his body touched hers.

"You made brownies?" She turned as he walked past her, a smile trying to grace her lips. She fought it though. 'Do not smile, bitch.' She said to herself as her back was still turned to the blue eyed beauty.

"I tried, but they'll never be as good as when you'd always make them," He charmed, his blue eyes landing on her brown ones. Their souls seemed to be connected. Something inside her chest was going crazy and that was her heart. Her heart wanted nothing more than for her to jump into the waiting captain's arms. 'No, this isn't supposed to be happening.' She said to herself.

"Let's just get to work." She huffed, pushing past him, putting the glass dish on the counter in the kitchen. It was going to be a long night.

_The doorbell chimed as Troy's blue eyes glanced into the mirror that was at the bottom of the stairs. Flicking his hair to the right, he felt confident. Yet, at the same time, Gabriella left him a nervous wreck. He was dressed in a casual white t-shirt, his bottom half clad in a pair of basketball shorts._

_Walking towards the door, he knew Brie would be on the other side of the wooden door. Taking a deep breath before he opened the door, he smiled upon seeing the brown eyed beauty standing there with a dish of something. Gosh, she looked beautiful. Just the way her brown hair fell carelessly around her shoulders, almost as if she had spent hours on the curls that came effortlessly._

_"I brought us a little snack for later," Gabriella spoke lifting the dish to her nose as she smelled the delicious treat that was in her hands. Stepping inside the warm house, she smiled at the basketball player._

_"I'll take that." Troy teased taking the dish from the brunette as she shrugged off her light jacket. "Mmm, brownies?" He raised an eye brow at the beautiful brunette as he took a whiff of the treat, a small smirk forming on his lips._

_"My mother's secret recipe." She smiled, hanging her red jacket on the hook right inside of the door._

_"I can't wait to try them, Brie." Smiling, he leaned down to place a firm kiss on the lips of the Latina. Gabriella smiled as the lips connected. As the pair separated, the brunette licked her lips slightly, letting the taste of the social butterflies lips against hers._

_"Ready for some more Chemistry?" She teased slightly, taking the glass dish out of the basketball player's hand as she walked into the kitchen area of the Bolton house hold._

"I can't believe how far we've gotten on the project." She commented, a small smile spreading across her lips. She was content with the work the two had been doing. The two worked well together, she concluded. Just school work, though. Only school work. Troy nodded in agreement, shaking his shaggy hair before flipping it slightly to get it out of his eyes. Gabriella watched him curiously, her brown eyes never leaving his beautiful figure. "Are you ever going to get a haircut?"

This seemed to pull Troy from his thoughts, she was talking to him and it wasn't about the project. "I was thinking about a haircut before Winter Formal." He shrugged, his eyes meeting hers in an intense stare. The blue seemed to bore into the brown of the Latina in such a way that sent chills down her spine. The butterflies were at it again.

"It's not even Halloween yet," She commented, her own hand running through her curls before she took a good look at her ends. They were split like a banana. She needed a haircut too.

"So? I'm a guy I could go months without a haircut." Troy retorted playfully, getting up from kitchen table where the two were working on their project. Gabriella's brown eyes immediately landed on the curve of the basketball player's behind. She swore she felt drool fall from her mouth. The dark brown drifted up and landed on the toned back as it flexed slightly from the movement that Troy was making. He was digging into the brownies he made. "Do you have a knife?"

Gabriella looked back down at the paper before her, as if she never even looked in the direction of the tall boy. She felt her cheeks flush. She was red and she knew it. She was thinking about throwing Troy against the counter and doing unspeakable things to him, again. The last time they were alone in the gray house, they had somehow ended up completely naked, in her room. Alone. Naked. And completely in love.

"Second drawer by the sink." She was short, not because she didn't want to break the silent pact she held with herself to not talk to Troy but because if she wasn't short and bitchy towards him, she'd end up confessing her entire weekend to him. Julliard. Her mom. The fact that she loved him more than anything. The need to throw him up against something and run her hands against his toned body. And she wanted to do the last one more than anything right now. He was so unknowingly attractive to her.

Sighing, Troy walked past the brunette, looking for the knife to cut the yummy treat he brought. He was getting no where, he concluded.

"Do you want a brownie?" He asked the girl who made his insides turn with happiness, before he looked at her. She was so beautiful. Her curly brown hair pulled to the side of her neck. The small birthmark on her neck being revealed. A small curl fell from her ponytail. He wanted to touch it. He wanted to push it back from her face. He wanted to just touch her. To just be with her.

"No." She was short with him again. Letting out a much larger sigh, Troy put the knife down with a little force. This caused Gabriella to look up from her work, her dark eyes filled with worry.

"Look Gabriella," Troy said sternly, his hand coming up to run through his long hair. Distress was written all over his figure. "I know that I've fucked up with us when it comes to being together and I don't know what else to do or how to fix it, okay?" He spoke with slight aggravation but as Gabriella went to open her mouth, he silenced her with his hand. "No let me say this, Brie. I know you're angry with me, you have every right to be. I really hurt you, I know, okay? But please don't to act this way towards me, I'm begging you now. I want to be your friend now. I just can't keep fighting with you anymore. This feeling that this void is just missing. I'm done fighting it, okay? I just want to be your friend. I'm trying to be your friend, okay? If I can't be with you at least let me be your friend. At least let me make up for some of the time we lost, okay?" He pleaded with the brunette who had just been staring into the intense blue eyes.

"Okay," She said softly, almost mocking him. He kept repeating okay. Slowly, getting up from her position at her kitchen table she started walking over to the athlete, she took the knife he had set down on the counter, cutting the brownie silently before putting it onto a napkin that was near by, pushing it towards the confused blue eyed boy. Smiling slightly, she took a bite of the brownie she had gotten out for herself. Silence filled the Montez household as the brown stare into blue. No words were said between the two. Nothing needed to be said. Their hearts seemed to be in sync. Something that was so unspoken said so much between the two. Swallowing the brownie, Gabriella finally spoke. "These are pretty good, Wildcat."

Wildcat. She called him Wildcat. His heart was throwing a party. His heart was going crazy. She actually called him by his nickname. She smiled at him. She ate the brownies he made for her. He must be doing something right. Though, last week she hated him, this week she was smiling at him and calling him by his nickname. He wasn't going to ask questions. He wasn't going to complain but like he said, he was going to make the most up for the time they lost, even if they were just friends. For now, they were just friends.

"Thank you." He could barely get the two words out of his mouth. His voice suddenly just disappeared. He didn't have the confidence he had only moments before when he seemed to pour out what he was feeling towards her.

"Please get a hair cut,"

If a haircut was what he needed to make her happy, then a haircut he would get. He'd get three haircuts to make her happy. A dozen even.


	11. Give Your Heart A Break

**"The day I first met you,**  
**You told me you'd never fall in love.**  
**But now that I get you**  
**I know fear is what it really was."**

- Give Your Heart A Break; Demi Lovato.

Troy stared at the blonde in front of him, almost amazed.

Sharpay Evans was almost perfect at everything. Singing. Dancing. Performing. Her hair seemed to flow in the right direction all the time. Her clothes matched. Every color. Every pattern. Every stitch seemed to be perfect. She was like a walk issue of Seventeen Magazine. She always seemed to smell like freshly picked flowers. She was pretty and not just the type of pretty that you'd see everyday but super model pretty. And right now, Troy was just amazed at how well Sharpay did it all. Singing. Dancing. Performing. And he needed her help.

She was so driven. She never gave up on anything. She was one of the top students as East High. She was the president of the drama club. Voted Homecoming Queen by her fellow students, junior and senior year. She was the female lead in every school musical that was ever performed on the stage where Troy and Gabriella escaped to numerous times. Sharpay Evans was so driven and determined that the smallest acts required such kneading from the blonde. It needed to be perfect and if it wasn't, she'd do it again until it was.

"Troy Bolton, needs my help?" She smiled triumphantly, flipping her blonde locks over her shoulder in a dramatic way before placing her hand over her chest. The ring she had on shining in the light. She was taking pride in Troy coming to her for her expert help. "Basketball captain Troy Bolton, the most popular, flawless guy in school needs my help? Are you sure you're at the right house? Because I—"

"Sharpay," Troy interrupted the stage queen, a hand running over his long locks as well. "Don't make a big deal out of this. I just need a favor,"

"Sorry," She ducked her head slightly, before looking back up at the blue eyed beauty. She straightened out her pink shirt before smiling lightly. "What do you need help with?"

"I need to learn how to sing." His request earned an eyebrow raise from the blonde who seemed to let out a low laugh.

"You want to learn how to sing?" Troy simply nodded, his chestnut colored hair falling over his eyes again. Sharpay bit her lip as she looked at the captain. She was trying to contain her laugh. She was almost failing miserably. No, she was, Troy declared. "You shouldn't do that."

"I need to learn Sharpay," His voice was stern as he looked into her dark brown eyes. Brown eyes. Gabriella had brown eyes. Gabriella's eyes were so gorgeous. So full of life. So unlike the brown he was looking into. Sharpay had determined eyes, Gabriella had eyes of an angel. "And to sing well. It's important."

"What's this about, Bolton? Her freshly manicured hand pointed at the athlete dramatically. She glanced down at the phone that the blue eyes darted to. He was texting the beautiful brunette for the past two days, a smile never seemed to leave his face. "Who are you texting?" She challenged, snatching the touch screen phone from his grasp.

Troy let out a small wail as he lunged for the phone. The blonde kept it out of his reach as her brown eyes saw the name the lit up his screen. "Brie. Who is Brie?" She looked at the screen again, before her dark eyes were filled with a sort of envy that she wasn't texting the basketball captain.

"Give me my phone back, Shar." He demanded to his best girl friend. She laughed slightly, scrolling through the conversation. A conversation he didn't plan on deleting anytime soon.

"Not until you tell me who 'Brie' is." She teased, her glossed lips puckering as she read the texts between the two former lovers. Troy's heart was beating so hard in his built chest. For being a strong basketball captain, he knew that if he tried to grab his phone out of the grasp of the headstrong blonde in front of him he would probably end up with a hurt ego and reproductive organ.

"Common, I know you want your phone back." She shook it before threatening to drop it onto the floor. Troy cringed slightly, covering his blue eyes almost as if he did it would just stop. Opening them up he saw Sharpay so intrigued with his phone, he swallowed. Scrolling through the conversation she stopped and let out a small gasp. "Gabriella Montez,"

"I love her." He declared proudly, grabbing the phone back from the Ice Queen, her official title. Her dark eyes landed on the blue that were so intoxicating. "That's why I need to learn how to sing."

"Troy Bolton, the one who swore he'd never fall in love, is in love with East High's biggest nerd." She almost snorted, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. The curls that had been perfected with a hot iron were unlike the natural ones the brunette possessed Troy loved Gabriella's hair. "You can't write this stuff!"

"It's not funny," His teeth were gritted together in an attempt to refrain from lashing out against the Barbie. The brown eyes studied the stone hard figure before her, almost taken back by how much passion was in Troy's eyes. They seemed to turn a dark blue. It kind of scared her. She'd never laid eyes on the basketball player like this before.

"If I'm going to help you," She paused as she saw his emotions go from hard to happy within a second. Her face softened a bit, before a small smile crossed her glossed lips. "You have to tell me everything," She offered, handing the electronic device back to the captain. Snatching the phone back from the blonde's manicured grasp, he let out a sigh of relief checking his messages to see if any damage was done.

"Everything?" Troy checked with his blonde friend, raising his eye brow as he stuffed the square phone into his pocket.

Nodding, as her curls shook. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving the athlete a look. "Everything."

"Everything." Troy repeated with a sigh, sinking back down into the pink chair with slight defeat. "Okay, I don't know where to start," He confessed, running a hand through his long locks that needed to be trimmed. He hadn't done that yet, he needed a plan first. And Sharpay, was his plan. Pausing he glanced up at the towering figure, slightly scared.

"The beginning," Sharpay declared like a giddy school girl before taking a seat on her oversized pink bed comforter. "Tell me everything,"

"Okay," Troy let out a nervous laugh before scratching the back of his neck. A nervous habit. "Uh, well. I guess I've always had a thing for her. I mean, she was always so quiet," Looking up at his best girl friend, her eyes were glossed over with delight. "And cute. She was cute. She still is," He blushed slightly, scratching the back of his neck with a slight chuckle. "But my dad had asked her to tutor me. Cause I needed it. Chem was killing me and it was in the beginning of the school year. Anyway, when he told me that, I was actually happy. And that was when I knew I finally had a chance to actually get to talk to her, you know?" Sharpay let out a slight squeak. Her brown eyes wide like a new born babies. She was so interested in the story of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. As Troy's blue looked at her, she gave him a look that urged him to keep going. Gosh, she was such a girl.

"So we became close, I guess." He shrugged, going off into his own little world as he remembered falling in love with Gabriella. "Then we kissed. I kissed her, actually. Then we started to hang out, a lot. And we kissed a lot. Basically we just fell in love. I said it first," He grew silent for a moment. The moment he told the brunette he loved her. "We were serious for only being seventeen, I guess. I just wanted to be with her, Sharpay. And she told me that she got into Stanford," He took a deep breath before he continued. It almost hurt him to continue. Shutting his eyes in an attempt to gather courage, he sighed again. "I um, I realized that she was so much better than someone who was failing chemistry within the first grading period. For some unknown reason, she let me in. She let me see parts of her that I knew no one else had seen. And it was the same for me. I showed her the real Troy Bolton. Not some phony state championship captain. The Troy Bolton who watches Star Trek. The Troy Bolton who can quote word for word the movie Elf."

She was going off to Stanford and I would be in New York. And by some grace of God I was awarded a full scholarship to Columbia. We'd be across the country from each other. I saw that as the most horrible thing. I thought I was holding her back. I thought I was bad for her. She's so smart and pretty. And perfect," His voice was cracking, he was fighting tears back. "So, I made her hate me. I slept with her." Sharpay let out a small gasp, causing Troy's eyes to drift to hers. He swallowed before licking his chapped lips. "Oh, trust me, it gets better." He cursed himself, his large hand running through his hair. "I slept with her and left her. I didn't speak to her. I didn't answer her calls. I ignored her. I stopped talking to her. I made her hate me. I wouldn't even make eye contact with her. So, she stopped. After a week, she didn't call. She missed four days of school that following week. I counted." Troy was now staring at his fingers, his class ring glistening as the light hit it just the right way. "I figured if I made her hate me she could go off to California and be fine without me."

"Troy Bolton! How dare you?" The drama queen exclaimed, only she had every right to. He did the wrong thing, to the right girl. He hurt the one person he ever felt he actually loved. He did it out of love. He put the love of his life before himself, even though he destroyed her heart in the process along with his. And now, he was just left with the mess he made.

"I know, Shar." He swore, before ducking the glares that were being sent his way. "I know how much I fucked up. I know. I look at my self everyday and just hate what I did. I made this huge mess. This mess that can only be cleaned up if she forgives me." He swore silently. "We were paired this year for the project and I realized how wrong I was. I don't care if she's across the country. I don't care if she's in Japan and I'm here. I want to be with her. I just want to be near her. My dad said singing to her was the best way to win her back. I mean, she has the voice of an angel, Shar. When she sings or hums, I just die" Troy began to ramble on about the brunette who was forever graved into his heart. The girl that hadn't left his mind in almost a year. The girl who kept his heart beating. "I just… want her."

Silence settled between the two friends as Troy's eyes stared into the brown of his closest girl friend. His eyes were that certain blue again. The blue that reminded the blonde of passion. So much passion was inside of Troy Bolton. She'd never seen him like this. So in love. So determined. She was impressed. She knew that it was a long shot to get Gabriella to truly forgive him. She knew that Gabriella was a tough cookie to break, but she also knew Troy. She knew Troy was so focused. By the time Troy had finished his story, Sharpay knew what she had to do. She knew that in some weird way, she would later take credit for all the work that was being done. Sharpay's perfectionist like ways kicked in almost immediately.

Puckering her lips slightly, narrowing her view on him. Finally, the silence was filled with the snap of the mint gum that was being chewed by Sharpay. A second later a sigh escaped the glossed lips.

"Do you know how to read sheet music?"


End file.
